Conveyer flight and chain link



Oct. 21, 1952 s CONVEYER FLIGHT AND CHAIN LINK 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 iled NOV. 17, 1947 .//vz/NT0R ROBERT S. MILLER r TERA/E /s' Oct. 21, 1952 s, M 2,614,685

CONVEYER FLIGHT AND CHAIN LINK Filed Nov. 17, 1947 .2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 /0T I T/a /N z/EN7'DR Ranger 5. MILLER u. EM

Patented Oct. 21, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE .jafi aess conversant-1cm. LINK Robert 5.; Miller, Portland, Qreg. -npplieationnove ber 17, 1947, Serial-K05186363- o Claims. ('c1. ;1-9s..- L7o) gedness-and durability, a flight 'whichcan easily be inserted and removed from the conveyorwithouttheuseof tools,'a flight which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, a flight which is free of smallparts, improvements in the form ot'connection with the conveyor chain to avoid highwstresses'i-n the flight where it is connected with the chain, and to provide a form of construction which will maintain a-strengt-h in the connecting parts substantially equal to the strengthof the chain links between the flights.

The present construction comprises a pair of -U'-shaped linkshaving lugs on their shanks to engage and be seoured i-n the opposite sides of a connecting block which'is designed to easily sustain the chaintension of the conveyor. Each of 'thellinks-isinsertable in the block through a keyhole-opening and secured therein by rotating the links-through a quarter turn to engage the lugs on the link within the block. In this manner, each of the links is securely anchored in the block to-sustain-the chain tension, whileat the same time being readily removable withoutre- :quiring the-use ofbolts, keeper pins, or other :customary securing devices.

Inone-embodim'entoi the invention, the block "in; which thelinks-are thus anchored is made as *a separate element: and the flight is provided with 'aseh-amber toreceive the block in order to mount the flight on the conveyor chain to -be-;moved thereby. In another embodiment of the invention, the connecting block is made an integral part of the conveyor flight.

- Still other objects and advantages will be apparent fromthe following description with referenee-tothe accompanying drawings illustrating :thevpneferred'embodiments of the invention. It

is :to "be understood, however, that various changes :may be made in the construction and arrangement-oi :parts, and that' al-l such modificationswithintheascope of the appended claims are included in the. invention.

- iI'n theidrawingsz Figure. liis'zaj-rearelevationviewof one form of .converor :flight :embodying the. principles 7 or Q .th spresentinvention;' 1

"Figure; 2; isaartop plan-viewgof the flight shown Figure .3 is a 1:ear"-e1evation view of -'the.-.connector block --to he'- used in, the. :fi ll s owman Figures land 2.;

"Figure Lisa perspectiveview of ea. -conneeto link to be used with. the.:.abovezflieht anacon- 'nector block;

Figure. '5 is. ,;.sectional view taken on the 5-55 of Figurehwithxthe partsxassembled;

Figure G is. a rear elevation View of apsecond embodiment: of, conveyor flight .in which theconhector block is integral with :the. flight;

"Figure :7 is. atop plan vie'w of the flightgShOW-n in Figureiifi;

Figure sis: asectionalviewtaken on .zthexl-ine 8-8 of Figure 7 I :Figure 9 is a. sectional. view takenzon .tlIIe'iL-line 91..9 oiFigurefl;

Figure 15, 9, sectional view taken onzthe line l Ila-Hiv .ofaFigure 6.; and

Figure .11 is a sectional view taken -:on:th e lime in the-application of the present; invention a number of: flightsoi thetyne herein illustrated are 'insertedaat-intervalsin'an endless conveyor chain I which iswtrained around sprocket wheels and the like'and driven 'b-y'a primer-never 'for the purpose of transporting-.material.' In ..both embodiments ofrthe invention, .the' 'flight itself comprises an angleiron barhavinga horizontal flange-adaptedate-slide onav surface upon which the material is deposited, .and'avertical flangeto push =a..quanti ty of' thewmaterial ahead of .-.the flight as the chain moves. The vertical flange'is braced "by aplurality oiawebs and'provision is made utilizing the principles "of the invention for detachably aconnectin'g'rthe conveyor chain with the central part oirthe flight to provide draft forathe-"flight.

theflrst embodiment ofcthe invention'illustrated in Figuresxl to :5,'the flight is designated generally "by thew-numeral :lifl" and. comprises ----'a bottom :flange 1 La vertical front flange l':2',; and a plurality-of "triangulanbracing' webs 13". In the center portion-of the'flight, a pair" of'spaeed vertical walls 14 provide a rectangular ;-box or chamber I 5 to receive-the connector bj1QCkS"I'| .5 shown in'Figure-is. The chamber 15 is open on topbut-i's closed onthe bottom by thebottom flange I The front side of the chamber l5 comprises the front vertical flange Y (.2, andthe rear-aside of this chamber comprisesa ve tical wall H extendingbetweenthe wall'slla h int'e ra v united-th rewith anials jb m fl n e 'ope ingaza eni ma form of keyholeopenings having lateral exten- 3 sions 2| are provided in the front and rear walls of the chamber I5 as shown in Figure 1.

The block I6 is designed to fit loosely in the chamber I5 and has keyhole openings 22 with lateral extensions 23 on its front and rear sides to register with the keyhole openings in the front and rear walls of the chamber I5. In the center of each opening 22 is a cylindrical stud 24 extending from a central wall 25 in the block. The block [6 has front and rear walls 26 behind which are arcuate passages 21 extending through a quarter turn from each of the lateral extensions 23, as shown in Figure 3. Each of these arcuate passages terminates in a recessed seat 28 having bevelled edges 29 to position and retain lugs insertecl through the lateral extensions 23 and rotated to the end of the arcuate passages.

By reason of the construction just described, the block I6 is adapted to receive a pair of links 30 extending on opposite sides thereof as shown in Figure 5 to connect the flight in a conveyor chain. The two links are identical and their shape is best shown in Figure 4. The links 30 are of U-shape having shanks 3| which form segments of a common cylinder having a diameter slightly less than the circular portion of the openings 20 and 22. The space between the shanks is slightly greater than the diameter of the central stud 24. The outer side of the end of each shank is provided with a laterally extending lug 32 of a size to be insertable in the lateral extensions 2| and 23 and to rotate Within the arcuate passages 21. The corners of the lugs 32 are bevelled at 33 to fit the bevelled sides 29 in the recesses 28.

Thus, when a link 30 is inserted in a keyhole opening 22 and rotated through a quarter turn, the lugs 32 seat themselves in the seats 28 to prevent rotation of the link and accidental disengagement from the block l6 as long as tension is applied to the chain. Obviously, a strong chain tension is not necessary to hold the links in place inasmuch as the slight tension produced by a sag in the chain or the mere dragging of the chain will serve to hold the lugs 32 in their recessed seats. Furthermore, it is appreciated that a chain has a tendency to resist twisting about its own axis, so that if the chain is not twisted improperly when the link is inserted the chain itself will tend to hold the lugs 32 in vertical position and will tend to resist rotation of the link to the extent necessary to withdraw it through the opening 22.

It is apparent in the embodiment just described that the block I6 sustains the chain tension in the conveyor independently of the flight Ill. The flight I0 is in reality floatingly mounted on the block Hi to be carried along by the block as the chain moves, but without having any other positive connection with the links 30. The flight is retained on the block I6 merely by the presence of the shanks 3| extending through the openings 20 in the front and back sides of the flight, and when a flight is to be removed from the conveyor it is only necessary to rotate each of the links 30 through a quarter turn to release both the links 30 and the flight from the block [6. This is very quickly and easily accomplished and requires no tools whatever.

In the modification shown in Figures 6 to 11, the same links 30 are used and the locking arrangement of these links in a connector block is the same but the connector block is made integral with the flight. Thus, the flight 40 shown in Figures 6 and 7 has the same bottom flange II, front flange I2, and vertical webs I3. However, the center portion of the flight designated by the numeral 4| constitutes an integral connector block having the same features as the block l6 shown in Figures 3 and 5. Corresponding to the block IS, the block 4| has keyhole openings 42 on opposite sides thereof with oppositely directed lateral extensions 43. In the center of each opening 42 is a stud 44 extending outwardly from a central vertical wall 45. End walls 46 enclose arcuate passages 41 leading to recessed seats 48 to receive the lugs 32 on the links. The sides of the seats are bevelled at 49 to flt the bevelled edges 33 on the lugs.

In this embodiment the flight 40, by reason of its being integral with the block, itself constitutes a link in the conveyor chain. Other things being equal, the strength is the same as the first embodiment with the advantage of having one less part. The keyhole openings 20 and 4 2 constitute apertures in exterior wall surfaces on opposite sides of the flight which cooperate with the recessed interior wall surfaces forming the seats 28 and 48 to comprise rotative engagement type quick detachable chain end link connector means for connecting the flights in the conveyor chain. When the links 30 are detached from the flight 40, there are no other parts to be concerned with. In most conventional chain conveyors the connecting means for the flights requires small parts such as bolts, nuts, keys, and the like. It is desirable to avoid the use of such parts if possible because they may he accidentally dropped or may work loose from the conveyor in operation and fall into the material being handled where they may cause serious damage to other equipment working with the material. Also the likelihood of a flight being improperly or insecurely attached to th conveyor chain, and the likelihood of trouble, increases with the number of parts required for making such attachment and with the complexity of the operation involved. In the present construction, the number of parts has been reduced substantially to the number of functional elements required in the conveyor, thereby eliminating the possibility of losing parts in the machinery or in the material being handled, and insuring that a proper connection will be made each time a new flight is inserted.

Having now described my invention and in what manner the same may be used, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a conveyor chain, a U-shaped link having a pair of shanks, each of said shanks constituting a segment of a common cylinder, and a laterally directed lug on each of said shanks, said lugs extending in opposite directions inthe general plane of said shanks.

2. In a conveyor flight, a chamber for a connector block, said chamber having walls on the front and back sides of the flight, connector openings in said walls, a connector block in said chamber confined between said walls, and detachable chain connector links extending through said openings and engaged solely with said block.

3. In a conveyor flight, a chamber for a connector block, said chamber being open at its top for insertion of said block and having walls on the front and back sides of the flight, connector openings in said Walls, a connector block in said chamber having connector openings in its opposite sides in register with the connector openings in said walls, and detachable chain connector links extending through said wall openings and having rotative engagement in said connector block openings, said connector block being retained in said chamber by said links.

4. In a conveyor, a rotatable, quick detachable chain end connector comprising a U-shaped link having a pair of parallel shanks, and a single perpendicular lug on each of said shanks, said two lugs being oppositely directed away from each other in common alignment in the general plane of said shanks.

5. In a conveyor having a plurality of flights connected in a chain, quick detachable rotative engagement connector means in each flight having apertured and recessed wall portions defining a keyhole opening for a chain end link, and a U-shaped chain end link having shank lugs engaged with said connector means by rotation in said keyhole opening on the axis of the chain.

6. In a conveyor flight fora conveyor having a plurality of flights connected in a chain, apertured exterior wall surfaces on opposite sides of the flight, a removable connector block disposed between said exterior wall surfaces, and recessed interior wall surfaces in said connector block behind said exterior wall surfaces, said apertures and interior wall surfaces defining rotative engagement type quick detachable chain end link connector means for connecting the flight in the chain.

7. In a conveyor, aconnector block having apertured and recessed walls comprising chain end link connectors in two opposite sides thereof, a chain end link secured in each of said connectors, and a conveyor flight having spaced openings on said opposite sides of said connector block receiving said end links to secure said flight to said in a chain, rotative engagement type connector meansfor connecting the flight to a pair of said end links in the chain comprising apertured exterior wall portions on opposite sides of the flight and interior wall portions behind said exterior wall portions, said interior wall portions comprising quarter turn arcuate passageways terminating in recessed seats for the endlinks.

9. In a conveyor flight for a conveyor having a ROBERT S. MILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 345,497 Garland July 13, 1886 499,526 Dodge June 13, 1893 972,698 Jones Oct. 11, 1910 1,453,088 Bachman et al Apr. 24, 1923 1,850,686 Pangborn Mar. 22, 1932 2,138,576 Gebert Nov. 29, 1938 2,278,853 Hudson Apr. 7, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 103,556 Sweden Jan. 20, 1942 

